GEOL 3513 Exam 2

Changes in air temperature can affect the global sea level through

All of these are ways the air temperature can affect the global sea level.

Which is not a way human behavior has made cyclone hazards more dangerous?

All of these behaviors can make cyclones more dangerous

How does the presence of mountains increase wildfire incidence or intensity?

All of these increase wildfire incidence or intensity.

What is the best adjustment for shorelines with strong currents?

Develop on vegetated coastal areas

What have scientists discovered may help predict hurricane intensity changes?

Development of hot towers

What is not a mitigation technique?

Shutting down all electric and waste-water systems.

What is the primary energy source that produces the differential heating that causes air masses to move across the landscape?

Solar energy

Which of the following U.S. states has the highest risk for hurricanes?

South Carolina

Most of the severe weather on the West Coast from San Diego to Vancouver is caused by

Strong winds and heavy rains from extratropical cyclones.

Which is not a linkage between coastal processes and other natural hazards?

Subduction zones created from coastal erosion

How is mass extinction characterized?

Sudden loss of large numbers of plants and animals relative to the number of new species being added

Which does not describe the size and movement of a wave?

Swell

Why may seawalls not be the best way to minimize the effect of coastal hazards?

They generally cause environmental and aesthetic degradation.

According to the figure, what has been the general trend in temperatures over the last 140 years?

They have been increasing.

According to the figure, how have global temperatures changed over the last 800,000 years?

They have increased and decreased many times.

Which is not a linkage between cyclones and other natural hazards?

Tornadoes from storms that do not make landfall

What is the greenhouse effect?

Trapping of heat by water vapor and several other atmospheric gases

Which of the following was not a result of the K-Pg Boundary mass extinction?

Widespread wildfires were experienced everywhere

The figure demonstrates the process of wave

refraction.

If the pore spaces in the soil are completely filled with water, the soil is

saturated.

The creation and movement of a hydrophobic layer in the soil (shown in the figure) can increase the occurrence of ________ after a wildfire.

surface runoff and soil erosion

The deflection of winds shown in the figure is a result of

the Coriolis effect.

Which is not a way wildfires affect vegetation?

All of these are ways that wildfires affect vegetation

How old is the sun, approximately?

5 billion years old

Which situation would result in the fastest jet stream flow?

60 degrees F and 90 degrees F

How does the study of soils help evaluate natural hazards?

All of these are ways that scientists have used soils in evaluation of natural hazards.

Which situation would result in a wildfire to burn more easily?

A south-facing slope in the Northern Hemisphere

After an oil spill, what is needed to predict the movement of the oil along the beaches and in salt marshes?

All of these are needed to predict the movement

Which is a principle of coastal zone development?

All of these are principles of coastal zone development.

What is a problem with those that live or work in the wildland-urban interface not adequately perceiving the risk from wildfires?

All of these are problems

Which is not a component of the climate system?

Average daily temperature

Which of the following is a form of soft stabilization?

Beach nourishment

Which is not a potential consequence of sea level rise?

Bleaching of coral reefs

How has human activity lead to an amplification of natural delta subsidence?

Building of levees and dams that prevent sediment to reach the delta

What is a problem with fire suppression?

Buildup of fuel means potential for larger, high-intensity fires

Scientists classify particles in the solar system by

By composition and diameter

Which is not a way climate change may increase the number and intensity of wildfires?

Decreasing the availability of natural fuels

If you placed a small boat in waves in the open ocean (not near the shoreline) what would the motion of the boat be?

Circular pattern, staying mostly in the same place

___________ is defined as an imposed change in Earth's energy balance.

Climate forcing

Which of these is not a condition needed for a hurricane to develop from a tropical storm?

Close enough to the equator so the Coriolis effect is strong enough to cause rotation

What is the difference between solutional sinkholes and collapse sinkholes?

Collapse sinkholes develop when the surface or near - surface material falls into an underground cavern.

Which of these areas is not at risk for coastal hazards?

Colorado River

The figure shows what type of particle from the solar system?a

Comet

The figure shows an example of what type of crater?

Complex impact

Which of the following would generally have the lowest albedo?

Coniferous woodlands

What is a realistic way to minimize hazards from subsidence and soil volume change?

Construct buildings on a compacted fill layer

Which is a natural service function of subsidence and soil volume change?

Creating unique ecosystems

Which of the following wildfire types is dominated by fires transmitted along treetops?

Crown fires

Which has not been a cause of subsidence in the Mississippi Delta?

Cutting channels though levees

What is the defining characteristic of the troposphere?

Decrease in temperature with increasing altitude

Which is not a way individuals can make adjustments for hurricanes?

Evacuate the area immediately when a watch is issued

What is a difference between tropical and extratropical cyclones?

Extratropical cyclones obtain their energy from the horizontal temperature contrast between air masses on either side of a front.

Which is not an adjustment you should make to fire hazards?

Fire insurance so you can live in fire-prone areas

Which of the following is not a primary approach of fire management?

Fire suppression

Which has not been a cause of mass extinction?

Flooding from tsunami

What is a natural service function of coastal processes?

Form beaches from coastal erosion.

Which is not a way to sequester carbon?

Glacier ice in Greenland

How are climate change, subsidence, and soil volume change related?

Global warming is the primary cause of permafrost melting in the Arctic, which in turn releases greenhouse gases that could speed up climate change.

Which is a difference between flaming and glowing/smoldering combustion?

Glowing/smoldering combustion does not require rapid pyrolysis for its growth

Label the phases of a wildfire from left to right for the three parts shown in the figure.

Glowing/smoldering combustion, flaming combustion, preignition (pyrolysis)

Which is not a way ecosystems will be impacted by global warming in the next 100 years?

Growing seasons will be shortened

What was not an impact of the Great Northern Ice Storm of 1998?

Heavy snowfall trapped many people in their homes

Which is not a human activity that increases the erosion of sea cliffs and lakeshore bluffs?

High waves hitting the cliff/bluff

What have scientists been doing to minimize the impact hazard?

Identifying and categorizing nearby objects that may threaten Earth.

Which is not a way human interference with natural shore processes has caused considerable coastal erosion?

Improperly attaching building materials

The best adjustment to subsidence and soil volume change is to avoid building in the areas prone to these hazards. Why is this not possible?

In the United States and Canada alone, there is a great portion of the land that is affected by at least one of the hazards.

When has the most important evidence for global warming been collected and from what data?

In the past 150 years from proxy evidence

Which of the following is not expected to be caused by global warming?

Increase in years between successive fires at a given location

Which of the following is not a natural service function of wildfires?

Increase microorganism populations in the soil

Which is not an effect of subsidence and soil volume change?

Increased groundwater - table levels to use during droughts

What are the three main time periods for which climate data are available for study?

Instrumental, historical, paleo-proxy

Why is the classification and naming of cyclones often debated?

It is based on a combination of science, custom, and politics.

Why was Hurricane Katrina so devastating to New Orleans even though there was ample advance warning and scientists had widely predicted a major hurricane would hit?

It is complex and multifaceted - all of these are reasons

Why is a rip current so dangerous?

It pulls swimmers out to sea in the fast current

If abrupt climate change during the next century is unlikely, why is it important to make changes now?

It takes time to initiate policy changes

The figure shown, with rolling hills and alternating areas of subsidence and undisturbed land, is an example of

Karst topography.

Which is not an effect of cyclones?

Land subsidence

Which would create a greater storm surge?

Landfall of a hurricane during low tide

What is the significance of the Tunguska River Valley in Siberia in terms of asteroids?

Large airburst of an asteroid occurred in recent history.

Which is not a characteristic of a Supercell thunderstorm?

Larger than an MCS or a squall line

Which of the following locations have climates that are favorable to cave formation?

Louisville, KY

Which of the following locations in the United States has the lowest risk of wildfires?

Maine

Which of the following is not a problem associated with glacial and sea ice melting?

Melting sea ice can lead to a rise in sea level.

A particle from the solar system that strikes the Earth is called a

Meteorite

What is the greatest difficulty in using Global Climate Models for prediction of future climate change?

Modeling future human behavior.

Which of these areas is a consequence if the ocean conveyor belt was not present?

Northern Europe would be cooler

Where is the cyclone in the figure located?

Northern Hemisphere

From the given areas, which experiences the highest number of hurricanes?

Northwest Pacific Ocean

Which is not an example of paleoclimate proxy data?

Ocean temperatures

The band of warm moist air under "Pacific Ocean" in the figure that can feed extratropical cyclones is referred to as the

Pineapple Express.

Which does not affect coastal topography?

Population

Which has the most influence on the consequences of an airburst or direct impact?

Population of the site of airburst or impact

According to the figure, if carbon dioxide emissions were reduced and the peak was during years 2000-2050, when could we expect to see temperatures stabilize?

Possibly in year 2300

Which is a true statement about wildfires?

Preignition processes absorb energy

What is not a benefit of severe weather?

Producing large amounts of rain in a relatively short time.

What is a natural service function of cyclones?

Provide primary source of precipitation in many areas

What happens when humans withdrawal subsurface fluids, such as oil, natural gas, and water?

Pumping out the liquid reduces support of the earth material.

Which concept is now used to explain the processes that form the Earth's landscapes?

Punctuated uniformitarianism

Which is not an abrupt climate change that could cause a serious risk to humans and the natural environment?

Rapid release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere

How can the color of the soil help in possible hazard risk assessment?

Red soil usually signifies it is poorly drained, which can lead to higher slope instability.

Which is not a way to minimize the effects of coastal hazards?

Replace vegetation with sand

In what part of a hurricane can you usually find the strongest winds, precipitation, and storm surge for storms making landfall in the northern hemisphere?

Right forward quadrant

What is the role of convection in wildfires?

Rising hot air in the fire pulls in fresh air to fuel the flames.

What was not an impact of the 2003 European heat wave?

Temperatures were cooled at nighttime due to clear skies during the day

The figure shows Jefferson Island and the salt mine and nearby oil drilling rig. What was the end result of this particular oil drilling location?

The drilling penetrated the mine causing mine flooding, lake draining, and other damage

Why have property damage costs associated with hurricanes increased so dramatically if there is better forecasting?

The increase in coastal populations have put more property in the hazard areas.

Which is a main reason it is difficult to apply uniformitarianism to understand the current climate processes?

The period of interest (past few centuries to 1000 years ago) is the one that is the most difficult to collect climate data.

Why have large wildfires in Southern California become more hazardous in the past few hundred years?

The population has doubled in the past 50 years.

Why do scientists believe human activities are contributing to global warming?

The recent warming greatly exceeds the natural variability

Which of the following is a statement of climate as compared to weather?

The winters here are dry and warm.

Which is a serious coastal hazard?

Tsunamis

Which is not a glacial hazard?

Tsunamis

Which is not an indication that there are expansive soils in an area?

Upward movement of land surfaces

What are steps we can take to reduce the death and damage associated with severe weather?

Use mitigation techniques and be prepared.

In general, what indicates how severe a thunderstorm will become?

Vertical wind shear

Which is not a reason craters are more common on the moon than the Earth?

Very few meteoroids enter Earth's atmosphere.

What is the purpose of a beach budget?

Visualize erosion at a particular beach

Which of the following is considered a variable gas?

Water vapor

If you were watching waves from the shore and started counting the seconds between one crest to the next, what would you be measuring?

Wave period

What is a jet stream?

Westerly winds that encircle the globe and play an important role in creating severe weather

Once a hurricane has formed, which is not a prediction that must be made by meteorologists?

Who will need to evacuate

In order to create and sustain a wildfire, you need all the following except

carbon dioxide.

Thermokarst has formed in the Arctic due to

climatic warming in the past 5 decades.

Rapid changes in relative seal level can contribute to hazards from

coastal flooding.

The figure shows an example of

continual change and relocation of a barrier island.

Subsidence is commonly associated with

dissolution of soluble rocks beneath the surface.

The subtropical midlatitude deserts of the world (Sahara, Arabian, Mojave, etc.) are a result of

dry descending air masses.

In the figure, the temperature profile demonstrates the difference in temperature

due to the urban heat island effect.

The impact or airburst of an asteroid or comet is not a direct cause of

flooding.

The storm tracks shown in the figure are named for the

geographic origin or direction of prevailing high winds.

The first change in wildfire behavior was seen when

grasses evolved and spread across the land.

The most intense rainfall of a hurricane occurs

in the eyewall.

Relative humidity normally increases at night because

it is usually cooler at night and cold air has the capacity to hold less water vapor than warm air.

In the figure, the change in water phases water shown are a result of ______.

latent heat being absorbed or released.

The parallel transport of sediment by ocean currents is referred to as

longshore drift.

Tornadoes are more common in the United States than in any other location on Earth due to

the United States having just the right combination of weather, topography, and geographic location.

A hurricane category on the Saffir-Simpson Scale is determined by

the average 1-minute wind speed.

The size of waves in the ocean or on a lake depend on

the speed and duration of the wind and length of the fetch.

Cyclones are classified as tropical or extratropical based on

their place of origin and temperature of their core region.

The heat-transfer process of convection is important in

transfer of atmospheric heat in thunderstorms.